All My Roads Lead To You
by intheblood
Summary: A story of one of my favorite Naruto couples. Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka.
1. 1 A Day At The Beach

1. A Day At The Beach

It was a perfect day. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, there was few clouds, and the sun warmed your skin and lifted your soul, and everyone was at the beach.

"Aren't you having fun, Shikamaru?" Ino asked sitting on the chair next to his.

"Eh, I guess. It's nice to finally have a peaceful, fun day." he replied.

"We're about to play volleyball. Why don't you come play? That is, if you're not too lazy to get out of that chair." Ino said with a laugh.

"I'll come only if I don't have to be on your team." he said then smiled evilly.

"And what's so wrong with being on my team?" Ino asked.

"The fact that we're already on the same team when we go on missions, so being on the same team as you outside of our mission would be too much." he laughed.

"Well, whatever. I'm going. If you wanna come, you'll follow." she scoffed.

"Hey, hurry up, Ino, Shikamaru! We're about to pick teams!" Sakura shouted.

"We're here, so who're the captains?" Shikamaru asked.

"How about you two?" Naruto said.

"Oh, OK. Ladies first." Shikamaru said looking at Ino.

"Oh, such a gentlemen! Well, then, I pick Choji." Ino laughed.

"Hey, I was gonna pick him. Whatever, I pick Lee."

"Neji."

"Tenten."

"Sai."

"Naruto."

"Sakura."

"Kiba."

"Shino."

"Hinata."

It was Shikamaru`s team(Lee, Tenten, Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata) VS Ino's team(Choji, Neji, Sai, Sakura, and Shino).

"I hope you're ready to lose, Shikamaru!" Ino shouted. "So, who's gonna serve?"

"Well, you picked first, so my team will serve first." he replied.

"Alright, but I'll have the last laugh!" Ino exclaimed.

"Kiba, you serve." Shikamaru said.

"Alright! Good choice, Shikamaru!" Kiba jumped up and spiked the ball.

---

"What was that you said earlier about you winning, Ino?" Shikamaru asked. "Last I checked, my team has five points, and your team only has one."

"And it's almost the end of the day, so I guess that means we win." Kiba said grinning from ear to ear.

"We'll continue this game another day." Sakura said.

"Why? Do you like losing that much?" Naruto laughed.

"Well, you all can keep torturing each other all you want. I'm gonna head home." Shikamaru said.

Wow, today really was fun, and not just because my team won. It was nice to have everyone get along and not fighting every two seconds. Shikamaru thought.

---

"Had fun today, Sakura?" Ino laughed.

Everyone else was still at the beach. Only Shikamaru had left.

"Wow. You're actually being nice to me." Sakura replied.

"Yeah, but that's only because I'm in too good of a mood to be mean right now." Ino said.

"Oh, well, I guess that means you had fun today, too." Sakura laughed.

"Nope. I had a blast today, even if our team did lose." Ino said with the biggest smile on her face.

Huh? I don't remember the last time I saw Ino this happy, but why is she so happy? Sakura thought.

"Wow, Ino. I think the last time I saw you this happy was when Sasuke was around." Sakura said.

"Eh, guys don't make me happy anymore, and besides, he never really liked me, and I'm not sure any of these other guys do either, and if they do, they don't act like it." Ino replied.

Ino looked up and stared at the setting sun, and the way it made the few clouds in the sky contrasts of pink, purple, and yellow. It was the perfect end to the perfect.

Sakura looked at Ino. She seemed like the same spunky and boy crazy Ino, but she was different somehow. She was more mature and more confident.

"Ino, are you still interested in Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"No." Ino said.

No, not since that incident a few weeks ago. Ino thought.

"Come on, Ino, Sakura! It's about time to go home!" they heard Naruto shout.

"Well, I guess that means it's time to go. Maybe we'll be able to have another fun day like this sometime soon." Ino said.

Everyone walked home laughing, joking, and making fun of each other. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Ino walked along the shore of the beach loving the feel of the sand between her toes and staring up at the stars. Outside of Konoha, away from the street lights, there were so many stars in the sky, and the full moon was a perfect shade of silver. She started to have a flashback of a few weeks ago when she left Konoha and a little into the forest.

_"Hello, Ino." she heard a familiar voice say._

_"Sasuke!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "You came back to me."_

_"No. I didn't." he said putting his sword right to her throat._

_"Sasuke..." she whispered._

_"Don't you try anything." another familiar voice said._

_"Or you'll do what?" Sasuke asked looking at Shikamaru._

_"I'll hit this little alarm, warning everyone in the village that there's trouble nearby, so let her go."_

_Sasuke grunted then put his sword back into his sheath._

_"You win this time." he said then disappeared._

_Ino stared at Shikamaru dumbfounded. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that someone saved her._

_"Thanks." she said breathless._

_"No problem. Anytime." Shikamaru said._

_End of flashback._

If Shikamaru hadn't saved her that day, she wouldn't be walking on the beach today. He deserved all the thanks she could give him.

"Getting into more trouble?" Shikamaru said from behind her.

"Ahh! Shikamaru! Don't scare me like that!" Ino screamed.

"Shh! Stop screaming. You wanna wake up everyone in Konoha." Shikamaru whispered.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that you startled me." Ino replied.

But I sure am glad to see you. she thought.

They just stood there for a minute as Shikamaru stared up at the sky trying to count all of stars and admiring the perfect full moon. Ino stared at Shikamaru, he wasn't acting super lazy or complaining like he normally was. Was he acting different because he was around her and only her?

"Wow. This is different." he said.

"What is?" Ino asked.

"You're not talking." Shikamaru laughed. "That Sasuke thing still on your mind?"

"Yeah. I just never thought he was that evil, and I didn't think anyone would be able to save me." Ino confessed. "Thanks, Shikamaru. I mean it."

"No sweat. Anytime." he said. "I think it's time we go home."

"Would you mind walking me home? I'm kinda scared." she lied.

No, not really. I just want to be by you, Shikamaru. Even if it's just for a few moments longer. she confessed to herself.

"Sure. Why not? I've got nothing better to do." he replied.

What's with her? The only guy I've ever seen her talk to like this is Sasuke. Ever since that incident, she's been acting really strange, and I'd like to know why. he thought, staring at her as they walked down the streets of Konoha.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No. Nothing." he replied hoping she didn't notice his cheeks turning pink.

---

"Well, this is your house. Bye." Shikamaru said.

"Thanks." she replied.

Don't worry, Shikamaru. I'll get to see you again in my dreams. Ino thought as she slowly walked away wishing he would say the words she wanted to hear.

To her, this really was the perfect end to the perfect day.

---

Why am I such an idiot? Shikamaru thought as he walked the streets of Konoha back to his house.

To him, this couldv'e been the perfect end to the perfect day if he had said what he wanted to say, if he had said what he needed to say.


	2. Chapter 2

1. A Day At The Beach

It was a perfect day. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, there was few clouds, and the sun warmed your skin and lifted your soul, and everyone was at the beach.

"Aren't you having fun, Shikamaru?" Ino asked sitting on the chair next to his.

"Eh, I guess. It's nice to finally have a peaceful, fun day." he replied.

"We're about to play volleyball. Why don't you come play? That is, if you're not too lazy to get out of that chair." Ino said with a laugh.

"I'll come only if I don't have to be on your team." he said then smiled evilly.

"And what's so wrong with being on my team?" Ino asked.

"The fact that we're already on the same team when we go on missions, so being on the same team as you outside of our mission would be too much." he laughed.

"Well, whatever. I'm going. If you wanna come, you'll follow." she scoffed.

"Hey, hurry up, Ino, Shikamaru! We're about to pick teams!" Sakura shouted.

"We're here, so who're the captains?" Shikamaru asked.

"How about you two?" Naruto said.

"Oh, OK. Ladies first." Shikamaru said looking at Ino.

"Oh, such a gentlemen! Well, then, I pick Choji." Ino laughed.

"Hey, I was gonna pick him. Whatever, I pick Lee."

"Neji."

"Tenten."

"Sai."

"Naruto."

"Sakura."

"Kiba."

"Shino."

"Hinata."

It was Shikamaru`s team(Lee, Tenten, Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata) VS Ino's team(Choji, Neji, Sai, Sakura, and Shino).

"I hope you're ready to lose, Shikamaru!" Ino shouted. "So, who's gonna serve?"

"Well, you picked first, so my team will serve first." he replied.

"Alright, but I'll have the last laugh!" Ino exclaimed.

"Kiba, you serve." Shikamaru said.

"Alright! Good choice, Shikamaru!" Kiba jumped up and spiked the ball.

---

"What was that you said earlier about you winning, Ino?" Shikamaru asked. "Last I checked, my team has five points, and your team only has one."

"And it's almost the end of the day, so I guess that means we win." Kiba said grinning from ear to ear.

"We'll continue this game another day." Sakura said.

"Why? Do you like losing that much?" Naruto laughed.

"Well, you all can keep torturing each other all you want. I'm gonna head home." Shikamaru said.

Wow, today really was fun, and not just because my team won. It was nice to have everyone get along and not fighting every two seconds. Shikamaru thought.

---

"Had fun today, Sakura?" Ino laughed.

Everyone else was still at the beach. Only Shikamaru had left.

"Wow. You're actually being nice to me." Sakura replied.

"Yeah, but that's only because I'm in too good of a mood to be mean right now." Ino said.

"Oh, well, I guess that means you had fun today, too." Sakura laughed.

"Nope. I had a blast today, even if our team did lose." Ino said with the biggest smile on her face.

Huh? I don't remember the last time I saw Ino this happy, but why is she so happy? Sakura thought.

"Wow, Ino. I think the last time I saw you this happy was when Sasuke was around." Sakura said.

"Eh, guys don't make me happy anymore, and besides, he never really liked me, and I'm not sure any of these other guys do either, and if they do, they don't act like it." Ino replied.

Ino looked up and stared at the setting sun, and the way it made the few clouds in the sky contrasts of pink, purple, and yellow. It was the perfect end to the perfect.

Sakura looked at Ino. She seemed like the same spunky and boy crazy Ino, but she was different somehow. She was more mature and more confident.

"Ino, are you still interested in Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"No." Ino said.

No, not since that incident a few weeks ago. Ino thought.

"Come on, Ino, Sakura! It's about time to go home!" they heard Naruto shout.

"Well, I guess that means it's time to go. Maybe we'll be able to have another fun day like this sometime soon." Ino said.

Everyone walked home laughing, joking, and making fun of each other. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Ino walked along the shore of the beach loving the feel of the sand between her toes and staring up at the stars. Outside of Konoha, away from the street lights, there were so many stars in the sky, and the full moon was a perfect shade of silver. She started to have a flashback of a few weeks ago when she left Konoha and a little into the forest.

_"Hello, Ino." she heard a familiar voice say._

_"Sasuke!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "You came back to me."_

_"No. I didn't." he said putting his sword right to her throat._

_"Sasuke..." she whispered._

_"Don't you try anything." another familiar voice said._

_"Or you'll do what?" Sasuke asked looking at Shikamaru._

_"I'll hit this little alarm, warning everyone in the village that there's trouble nearby, so let her go."_

_Sasuke grunted then put his sword back into his sheath._

_"You win this time." he said then disappeared._

_Ino stared at Shikamaru dumbfounded. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that someone saved her._

_"Thanks." she said breathless._

_"No problem. Anytime." Shikamaru said._

_End of flashback._

If Shikamaru hadn't saved her that day, she wouldn't be walking on the beach today. He deserved all the thanks she could give him.

"Getting into more trouble?" Shikamaru said from behind her.

"Ahh! Shikamaru! Don't scare me like that!" Ino screamed.

"Shh! Stop screaming. You wanna wake up everyone in Konoha." Shikamaru whispered.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that you startled me." Ino replied.

But I sure am glad to see you. she thought.

They just stood there for a minute as Shikamaru stared up at the sky trying to count all of stars and admiring the perfect full moon. Ino stared at Shikamaru, he wasn't acting super lazy or complaining like he normally was. Was he acting different because he was around her and only her?

"Wow. This is different." he said.

"What is?" Ino asked.

"You're not talking." Shikamaru laughed. "That Sasuke thing still on your mind?"

"Yeah. I just never thought he was that evil, and I didn't think anyone would be able to save me." Ino confessed. "Thanks, Shikamaru. I mean it."

"No sweat. Anytime." he said. "I think it's time we go home."

"Would you mind walking me home? I'm kinda scared." she lied.

No, not really. I just want to be by you, Shikamaru. Even if it's just for a few moments longer. she confessed to herself.

"Sure. Why not? I've got nothing better to do." he replied.

What's with her? The only guy I've ever seen her talk to like this is Sasuke. Ever since that incident, she's been acting really strange, and I'd like to know why. he thought, staring at her as they walked down the streets of Konoha.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No. Nothing." he replied hoping she didn't notice his cheeks turning pink.

---

"Well, this is your house. Bye." Shikamaru said.

"Thanks." she replied.

Don't worry, Shikamaru. I'll get to see you again in my dreams. Ino thought as she slowly walked away wishing he would say the words she wanted to hear.

To her, this really was the perfect end to the perfect day.

---

Why am I such an idiot? Shikamaru thought as he walked the streets of Konoha back to his house.

To him, this couldv'e been the perfect end to the perfect day if he had said what he wanted to say, if he had said what he needed to say.


End file.
